1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to the field of broadband satellite communications, in particular to a method and telecommunication system for providing near real-time IP streaming services to a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
IP services delivered to vehicles, such as trains, through satellite networks are affected by relevant interruptions due to obstacles along the track (e.g., tunnels, hills, urban canyon, etc.). In case of near real-time streaming services over IP networks, such as IP Television, these interruptions are not acceptable for the end users.
One of the most effective solutions to the above indicated problem is to deliver such kind of services delaying them by a suitable amount of time (typically 5÷15 minutes) by means of a delay buffer managed by the onboard media server and ensure the continuity of the service by refilling this buffer after each interruption.
However the refilling of the buffers of a fleet of vehicles may sensibly increase the use of the satellite resources, such as the bandwidth, required for providing the near-real time streaming service thus increasing the overall cost of the service.